Last Chance for Early Bird Conference Registration! | | |
The 2026 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference: Libraries Open Doors, will take place from April 30 to May 1, 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre in Regina, SK.
To view all of the goodies in this year's schedule, please download the conference program below.
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Early Bird Registration closes on March 13, 2026!
Early Bird registration, for conference delegates, sponsors, and exhibitors, is set to close soon. Don't miss your opportunity to snag the best rates while you can!
Please use the links below to register online.
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Pre-Conference Workshop
With support from the Multitype Library Board, we are pleased to announce that the 2026 Saskatchewan Libraries Pre-Conference workshop, Cybersecurity in the Library, is set to take place at the Hilton DoubleTree (Moose Jaw Room), in Regina, SK on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 1-4:30 pm.
The cost of this workshop is $45 + tax. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. To register, please use the link below.
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Pre-Conference Reception with SILS
SLA is pleased to open the 2026 conference with an evening social & dessert reception, hosted by SILS. Join us on April 29th at the DoubleTree by Hilton for an engaging and rejuvenating social affair!
This informal event will cap your day of travel, gear you up for conference, and celebrate the collaboration between staff and member libraries that have made the SILS Consortium such a successful partnership for the past 16 years. A cash bar will be available.
Please indicate your interest in attending through the conference registration form. We hope to see you there!
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Volunteer Opportunities Available
Are you looking for a great opportunity to give back to your library community? We'd love to have your help at this year's conference! Please indicate your interest in volunteering through the conference registration form.
| | Congratulations to the MLIS Student Award Recipients! | |
Indigenous MLIS Student Award
The recipient of the 2026 Indigenous Student MLIS Education Bursary is Sadie Anderson!
Sadie Anderson (She/Her) is a registered member of the Peepeekisis Cree Nation in Treaty Four territory, while she lives and works in Treaty Six.
Sadie has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Regina and is currently taking her MLIS online part-time through the University of Alberta. She is currently working as the Indigenous Archivist (term) at the University of Saskatchewan and is committed to Indigenous data sovereignty.
When she’s not working or studying, Sadie is an avid knitter with several published patterns.
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Maureen Woods Education Award
The recipient of the 2026 Maureen Woods Education Award is Alicia Toscano!
Alicia Toscano has been working in the Regina library community since 2007 and is currently taking some time away to pursue her Master of Library & Information Science graduate degree from Western University (London, Ontario).
When not attending classes, Alicia is the Client Services Assistant at the Saskatchewan Legislative Library. Alicia is grateful for her husband Logan, daughters Evelyn and Rosie, and for her dogs Luna and Bubby.
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SLA Communications and Engagement Committee Seeks New Members!
The Saskatchewan Library Association is currently seeking a new committee member for our Communications and Engagement Committee. Individual SLA members working in special or public libraries are encouraged to express interest.
The Communications and Engagement Committee works to support and develop SLA's membership base through the promotion of networking and synergetic activities. Committee members are also responsible for overseeing the development, review, and maintenance of the communications plan.
For more information, please reach out to SLA Communications and Research Coordinator, Yasmin Dar at YDar@saskla.ca.
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The 2026 TD Summer Reading Club Staff Site is Now Live!
Exciting news! The TD Summer Reading Club is now accepting orders for their 2026 program materials.
Dive into the updated staff website and start planning your most fin-tastic summer yet!
Login to your staff account to register your library, system, or region in the program, view reports, and place your annual order for club materials and promotional items.
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StoryWalk® is back for summer 2026
The TD Summer Reading Club is pleased to announce the return of StoryWalk® for summer 2026, following another successful project last summer. A StoryWalk® is a fun activity that places a children’s book, page by page, on laminated poster boards along a path or in a park. Kids and their families have the opportunity to enjoy reading a book while strolling through their community.
StoryWalk® is free and available to libraries across Canada that submitted their statistics and evaluation for the 2025 program to Forum Research Inc. (only applicable to returning libraries) and that have registered for the 2026 TD Summer Reading Club. The book that has been selected is Colette: The Solitary Bee by Jean-François Sénéchal, illustrated by Pascale Bonenfant.
If you are interested in registering your library to receive a StoryWalk® kit, please send the Letter of Agreement to Ashley-Ann Brooks using the button below by March 13, 2026. Orders received after the deadline will be added to a waitlist.
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Promotional Items Available
It’s that time of year again! Time to place your orders for the upcoming 2026 TD Summer Reading Club program.
The Hannah Promotions website is now accepting orders. Please log in to your account or create an account before adding items to your cart. Don't miss out—get your orders in early! The deadline to submit your order is March 5, 2026.
If you have any questions about your order, please send your inquiry to the button below.
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While the start and end dates of the TD Summer Reading Club are flexible, we would like to encourage libraries to open up their Club registration on any day of their choice between June 8 and June 22, 2026. We call this nationwide registration period Get Your Summer Read On. Libraries can host events and activities to mark the opening of Club registration at their locations.
Expect the kids’ website to go live on June 8, 2026. As always, it will feature new content including trivia questions, story starters, videos from our contributors and more.
To learn more or register online, please use the link below.
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SLA's Prison Library Sub-Committee's quarterly book recommendation section in SLAte is an opportunity to consider Canada's justice system, the lived experiences of incarcerated people, and the importance of having accessible resources while incarcerated.
This month's book recommendation is Letters to the Sons of Society by Shaka Senghor.
Letters to the Sons of Society by Shaka Senghor is a poignant collection of letters addressed to his sons, reflecting on his 19-year incarceration for murder and his journey to redemption. It addresses toxic masculinity, the struggles of Black fatherhood, and the need for emotional vulnerability, urging sons to break cycles of violence.
We encourage you to stop by your local library and pick up a copy today!
To learn more about the work of PLSC, please use the link below.
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Communications & Research Coordinator Role Transition at SLA
It is bittersweet for SLA to share that we will miss seeing Yasmin Dar every day! Effective April 1, Yasmin will be dedicating her time to new projects and adventures.
We are, however, pleased to share that Yasmin will continue her connection with SLA on contract, designing the 2025–2026 annual report.
The Board, Committees, and staff wish to extend their heartfelt thanks to Yasmin for being an invaluable part of our team. We are grateful for her passion, knowledge, professionalism, dedication, and continued creativity! Best wishes, Yasmin, as you begin the next chapter!
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At the same time, our team is excited to welcome Marielle Escover to the position of Communications and Research Coordinator. Marielle comes to SLA from Sask Sport and brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to the role. We wish Marielle the very best as she settles into her new post and look forward to the many meaningful contributions she will make to the library community!
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Enjoy the Perks of Being an SLA Member!
Are you taking advantage of the many fantastic perks available with your SLA membership?
Do you know that active Individual SLA members have access to private forums?
Forums help members to connect professionally and socially with their library community.
To learn more about the many exciting benefits available to SLA members, please visit us online using the link below.
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• March 13 - SK Libraries Conference Early Bird Registration Closes
• March 13 - TD Summer Reading Club StoryWalk® Kit Deadline
• April 1 - One Book One Province In-Person Events Begin
• April 15 - SK Libraries Conference Registration Closes
• April 29 - SK Libraries Pre-Conference Workshop
• April 30-May 1 - SLA Saskatchewan Libraries Conference!
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Hello, everyone,
As you're already likely aware, March 31 of each year is National Indigenous Languages Day, which was originally founded as National Aboriginal Languages Day in 1989 by the Assembly of First Nations and was first designated federally in 1993. Ahead of this year's National Indigenous Languages Day, the University of Saskatchewan College of Education has announced its new partnership this past week with the Métis Nation Saskatchewan, Gabriel Dumont Institute and Saskatoon Public Schools to introduce and to launch a Michif-language stream of its Certificate in Indigenous Languages program.
The Michif language is an intricate and fascinating topic of study of consideration, and I'm not just saying that because the Métis homeland community of Ile-a-la-Crosse is both A) within the PNLS service area and B) my wife's hometown. (If you're already plotting out your activities and trips for this coming summer, don't forget that this year is Ile-a-la-Crosse's 250th anniversary!)
Even temporarily setting aside the historical and sociocultural significance of its origins and evolution over time, Michif is very likely the only lexicon in the world to have both a verb-noun split—broadly speaking, its noun phrases are derived from French roots and its verb phrases are derived from Cree roots—and a combination of two different grammatical gender contrast systems, inheriting both the French distinction between masculine and feminine nouns and the Cree distinction between animate and inanimate nouns. You can certainly see how those 30 credit hours would fill up in a hurry!
The inaugural term of USask's Michif-language stream Certificate in Indigenous Languages will kick off this July. In the meantime, prospective learners and interested laypersons can research the language and culture the old-fashioned way—that's right, you guessed it—on Roblox. (What a time to be alive!)
Until next time,
James Hope Howard
SLA President
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Sask Polytech Celebrates OE Week 2026!
Sask Polytech will be celebrating their 7th annual Open Education Week, this March 2 to 6! Throughout the week, you’ll have the chance to explore Open Education, build your teaching and content‑creation skills, and connect with a global community of educators, practitioners, and learners. Be inspired by innovative approaches and success stories from around the world. Join Sask Polytech and expand what’s possible in your learning journey!
To register, please use the link below.
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U of R Presents About AI Futures!
Join us at the University of Regina from March 11-13, 2026 for an exciting three day event exploring AI and machine learning in teaching, learning and research.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), including machine learning (ML) and generative AI, is a growing area of interest for faculty, researchers, instructors, students, and the wider community. At the University of Regina, and across the city and province, we are actively exploring AI- and ML-related initiatives and collaborating with partners to aim at providing coordinated support, services, and education.
This three-day event explores the impact and potential of AI and ML through creative immersion, academic exploration, and societal reflection. Each day will highlight a different lens on how AI is shaping research, teaching, and daily life.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, please use the link below.
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U of R Seeking Research Participants
The University of Regina is looking for volunteers to take part in the study Role of Public Libraries in Supporting Integration of Refugee and Immigrant Families Migrating to Canada: A Critical Ethnography. Refugee/Immigrant, Librarian, or Settlement Service Providers in Saskatchewan are invited to participate.
Participation will involve a 40-60 minute online discussion. As an appreciation for their time, volunteers will receive a $50 e-Gift Card.
Guidelines:
- Use “Library project” in the subject-line
- An individual’s decision to participate or not in the study will not impact their ability to use the services of any of the community partners
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If you know other individuals that may be interested in participating in this research, we encourage you to privately send this poster to them. Please do not repost, like, or tag this poster on social media as then people may believe you have participated in the study and your anonymity is compromised. There is no obligation for you to pass along this information, and there will be no penalty if you do not provide this information.
This study has been reviewed and received approval through the Research Ethics Board, University of Regina.
For more information on the study, or to participate, please use the email link below to contact Dr. Shela Hirani:
Dr. Shela Hirani, PhD, MScN, BScN, RN, IBCLC
Professor
Faculty of Nursing
University of Regina
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Take Part in the Accessible Reading Symposium
NNELS, the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), and Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BANQ) invite you to take part in the Accessible Reading Symposium on March 11 and 12, 2026. This symposium is a free, virtual, bilingual, two-day event designed to help library staff and readers with print disabilities learn about accessible reading in Canada.
User demonstrations and author sessions are as follows:
Day 1: March 11, 2026
French Session - 9:00 - 11:20 am EDT
Demonstrations by readers with print disabilities and an author talk with Boum, author of the graphic novel La méduse.
English Session - 1:00 - 3:20 pm EDT
Demonstrations by readers with print disabilities and an author talk by Amanda Leduc, author of Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space, The Centaur's Wife, and Wild Life.
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Day 2: March 12, 2026
Bilingual Session - 1:00 - 3:30 pm EDT
An introduction to accessible reading sectors in English and French with live interpretation. Short presentations will be delivered by multiple libraries, content providers, publisher organizations, and technology providers about accessible reading in their sectors.
To learn more or register online, please use the link below.
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SLAte Submissions
Have something you want to see in SLAte? Send us a submission! The deadline for SLAte submissions is the 20th of each month, and submissions must be emailed to Yasmin Dar at YDar@saskla.ca. SLA reserves the right to change or edit any submission, or to refuse publication in its entirety.
SLAte is an open-access publication under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY-NC-ND copyright license, excluding all logos and other material where indicated.
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